Method of burning liquid fuel or the like



T. NAGEL July 2,- 1940.

METHOD OF BURNING LIQUID FUEL OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 4, 1958 M INVENTOR BY WM M m QqTTORNEY S Patented July 2, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT oFEicE METHOD or nalsemum FUEL on' y Theodore Nagel, Brooklyn, Y.

Application october `4, 193s, serial No. 233,228

Z Claims.

This invention is directed to a method for burning liquid fuel and the like, and is applicable to industrial and house heating furnaces, for example, equippediwith the necessary automatic con- B trois. The method is continuous .and eiects practically complete conversion of oil to combustion products at any desired temperature ranging from 2000 F. to approximately 3750 F. which is practically the theoretical combustion tempery l ature of oil and air without air preheat.

More specifically my invention comprises con tinuously atomizing ak controlled ow of oil in a diverging stream into a chamber the oil charging end of the chamber being practically free of oxygen. The atomized oil is continuously dispersed obliquely into a continuously owing converging film of air, the atomized oil, on entering the airv flame, converging toward and iiowing into a nar' rowed outlet channel. The sheet flame flowing into the narrowed outlet channel produces turbulence under high temperature conditions, whichtaken in connection with the confined conditions incident to the narrowed outlet channel effects flash decomposition of existing hydrocarbons accompanied by flash oxidation of the preheated 86 combustible matter.

The oil and air in controlled continuous flow are so proportioned as to regulate the temperature of the combustion products. For example, when a temperature of approximately 2000 F. is den sired, air in excess of that necessary to produce complete combustion isemployed, so that the combustion products are diluted with air to produce this temperature. By decreasing the air supply in proportion to the oil supply; the tem.-

pe'rature of the combustion products increases,

owing to this decreased air dilution. With suicient reduction in air to produce combustion products practically free of air dilution the temperature of the combustion products approaches so practically theoretical combustion temperature of the oil,

Theaccompanying drawing, a ilow diagram, illustrates thel operations employed in the practice of this invention for the production of con- 55 trolled. temperature combustion products.

' combustion products.

Referring to the drawing, a controlled continuous flow of oil "I from any suitable source of supply is subjected to press-ure by pump 2 and the oil atomized at 3 through release of pressure. The atomized oil is continuously projected at high velocity through a zone 4 that is practically free of oxygen vand vin which the atomized oil lis dispersed preferably in the form of a diverging stream or hollow cone 5. Flowing from the zone 'l 4 the atomized oil enters obliquely into a con- 10 tinuously flowing converging lm of air 6 that is supplied by air blower 1.` xThis air, it will be seen, is'introduced about the periphery of the i atomized oil stream and is converged across the path of the diverging oil stream at a point beyond 15 the oil charging end of the chamber.

. Ignition of the atomized oil on entering the air stream takes place at 8, ignitionbeingleffected by any suitable standard ignition system shown at 9 as a high tension electric spark device. 20

The resulting sheet of flame I ll 'converges toward and flows through a relatively narrowed and short outlet channel Il, beyond the outlet l2 of which are produced controlled temperature From theforegoing it will be seen that my in vention provides a process for the vcontinuous conversion of oil to controlled-temperature combustion products, the desired result, flash decomposition of the hydrocarbons accompanied by so ash oxidation of the preheated combustiblel matter being eiected through instant conversion of atomized oil to Vapor which is turbulentlyl mixed with air under'high temperature conditions that flash decomposes the hydrocarbons accompanied a5 by flash oxidation of the preheated combustible matter. A

Whatlclaimis:

1. The method of continuously burning oil, which method comprises continuously atomizing 40 a. controlled flow of oil in a diverging stream into a chamber, introducing into said chamber-in ,a continuous controlled ow and under pressure all of the'air necessary for complete combustion of the atomized oil, said air being introduced about the periphery of the atomized oil stream out of contact with the diverging oil stream, converging the air stream across the path of the diverging oil stream at a point' beyond the oil charging end of the chamber, igniting the mixture of oil and air, and continuously discharging the burning mixture from the chamber.

2. The method of continuously burning oil,- which method comprises continuously atomizing a controlled iiow of oil in a diverging stream into a chamber, the oil charging end oi the chamber being free of oxygen, introducing into said chamber all of the air necessary for complete combustion of the oil. said air being introduced under pressure and in a continuous controlled flow about the periphery ofthe diverging oil stream but out oi contactwith it. converging the air stream 'across' the path o! divergin'g oil at a point 

